Manufactured retaining wall block with improved false joint

ABSTRACT

A retaining wall block having a false joint and a system of retaining wall blocks. The retaining wall block includes a body having a first textured surface and a second textured surface and a false joint dividing the first and second textured surface. The false joint can have a depth divided by the width greater than two inches. The false joint can have an interior angle of less than ten degrees. The system includes a plurality of retaining wall blocks and a first course of retaining wall blocks engaged with a second course of retaining wall blocks below. Each block in the system comprising a front face having a first textured surface and a second textured surface and a false joint dividing the first and second textured surface. The false joint can extend a predetermined depth of a third surface.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/978,891, filed May 14, 2018, which is a continuation-in-partof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/688,784, filed Aug. 28, 2017, nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,999,993 on Jun. 19, 2018, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/074,830, filed Mar. 18, 2016, nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,744,697, issued Aug. 29, 2017, which is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/311,194, filed Jun. 20, 2014,which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/838,205, filed on Jun. 21, 2013. U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/978,891 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/080,276, filed Mar. 24, 2016, which is a continuation inpart of U.S. Design application No. 29/543,176, filed Oct. 21, 2015, nowU.S. Design Pat. No. D791,346, issued Jul. 4, 2017, which are herebyincorporated by reference for all purposes as if set forth herein intheir entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to retaining wall blocks, and morespecifically to a retaining wall block having a false joint and a moldfor manufacturing such.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Retaining wall blocks can be manufactured and arranged in a variety ofdifferent ways.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A manufactured retaining wall block with an improved false joint and asystem of retaining wall blocks with an improved false joint ispresented herein.

In an embodiment, a retaining wall block having a false joint ispresented. The retaining wall block comprises a body having a firstsurface and a second surface and a false joint dividing the first andsecond surface and extending a predetermined depth of the body.

In another embodiment, the first and second surface can be textured. Thefalse joint can have a depth divided by the width that is less than apredetermined value. The false joint can also have an exterior anglethat is greater than an interior angle. The retaining wall block canalso include a base below the body that has at least one ridge toproduce at least one engagement cavity. The body and the base can definean H-shaped dimension.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art uponexamination of the following drawings and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features, andadvantages be included within this description, be within the scope ofthe present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to thefollowing drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarilyto scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating theprinciples of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, and in which:

FIGS. 1A through 1D are diagrams of a retaining wall blocks with falsejoints in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 2A through 2C are diagrams of engaged retaining wall blocks withfalse joints in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of molded retaining walls blocks with each having afalse joint in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a mold for providing a false joint, in accordancewith an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the description that follows, like parts are marked throughout thespecification and drawings with the same reference numerals. The drawingfigures might or might not be to scale and certain components can beshown in generalized or schematic form and identified by commercialdesignations in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

FIGS. 1A through 1C are diagrams of a retaining wall block 100 inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.Retaining wall block 100 can be formed from masonry, concrete or othersuitable materials, using a wet cast process, a dry cast process orother suitable processes. As shown in FIG. 1A, retaining wall block 100includes a body 102, a base 104, a top face 106, engagement cavity 110,and textured front face 115. Textured front face 115 can be formed bysplitting retaining wall block 100 from a second retaining wall block100, as discussed in greater detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, front face 115 includes a false joint 120.The false joint 120 can extend the width of the body 102 along the frontface 115 and a depth of the body 102. The false joint 120 can be locatedanywhere along the front face 115 of the body 102 and can be extended todifferent depths of the body 102. As is more clearly shown in FIG. 1D,the false joint 120 can have an exterior false joint section having anapparent angle β and an interior false joint section having an apparentangle α. The false joint 120 can have an interior false joint width Wand an interior false joint depth D and a depth divided by width (D/W)of greater than a predetermined amount, such as 2 to 3, depending on thesize of the body 102, or other suitable amounts. The width W can beequal to or less than 3 mm or other suitable values. The false joint 120can have a depth of about a third of the depth of the body 102, or othersuitable depths. The apparent angle α of false joint 120 can range fromless than 10° to greater than 20°, and the apparent angle β of falsejoint 120 can range from less than 60° to greater than 80°. A transitionregion between the interior false joint section and the exterior falsejoint section can have a thickness t, where t can be less than or equalto a predetermined value, such as 8 mm, or other suitable values.Furthermore, the body 102 can include multiple false joints 120.Alternate interior and exterior portions are shown as alternatives.

As shown in FIG. 1C, which is a side view of retaining wall block 100,retaining wall block 100 can also include a bottom surface 125 having atleast one engagement protrusion 130. Engagement protrusion 130 isconfigured to interface with engagement cavity 110 of an underlyingretaining wall block 100. Furthermore, the front engagement cavity 110is offset from the location of engagement protrusion 130, so as toresult in a staggered incline as successive rows of retaining wallblocks 100 are formed. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, theincline of successive rows of retaining wall blocks 100 is generallyvertical with no staggering.

FIGS. 2A through 2C are diagrams of engaged retaining wall blocks 100and 200, in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure. As shown in FIG. 2A, retaining wall blocks 100 and 200 canhave different sizes and can include top faces 106 and 206,respectively, engagement cavities 110 and 210, respectively, andtextured front faces 115 and 215, respectively. As previously discussed,retaining wall blocks 100 and 200 also include false joints 120 and 220,as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Likewise, other suitable false joints canalso or alternatively be used.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, first retaining wall block100 is disposed onto a top surface 206 of a second retaining wall block200. As shown in FIG. 2C, first retaining wall block 100 can positionedso that engagement protrusions 130 align with and fit into engagementcavity 210 of second retaining wall block 200. In one embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the angle and configuration of engagement notches110 and 210 and engagement members 130 and 230 can be varied to allowthe blocks 100, 200 to be assembled with an offset. In one exampleembodiment of the present disclosure, the angle of engagement notches110 and 210 can be between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees.Likewise, the angle of engagement members 130 and 230 can be betweenabout 30 degrees and about 90 degrees.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a retaining wall block 300 with false joints 120formed in the molded product, prior to splitting, in accordance with anexample embodiment. Block 300 includes a first block having a body 102and base 104 casted with a second block having a body 102 and base 104.The individual blocks 100 can be formed by splitting block 300 at thecenterline, through the diamond shaped aperture segmenting the falsejoints 120. The false joints 120 described herein can be cast within themold at different suitable depths and at different suitable widths, andat varying suitable locations within body 102 corresponding to selectedfalse joint locations.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a mold 400 for providing a false joint, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Mold400 includes base 402, index notches 404, outer frame 406 and falsejoint 120 frame. When masonry compound or other suitable wet or drymixes are added to the cavity of mold 400, false joint 120 frame createsa false joint feature, such as shown in FIG. 1D or other suitable falsejoints. After the block is formed by mold 400, mold 400 can be removedto allow the wet or dry mix to set and cure. False joint 120 frame canbe coupled to mold 400 (not explicitly shown), or can be secured inanother suitable manner to allow it to be withdrawn prior to setting.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merelyexamples of possible implementations. Many variations and modificationsmay be made to the above-described embodiments without departing fromthe principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications andvariations are intended to be included herein within the scope of thisdisclosure and protected by the following claims.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A masonry block comprising: a body having a frontstructure with a first surface and a second surface; and two middlestructural members extending a predetermined distance between the secondsurface and a rear structural member, wherein the middle structuralmembers each include an upper portion having a first angle, a lowerportion having a second angle and a transition region wherein a distancebetween the upper portion and the lower portion reduces from a firstvalue to a second value; wherein the first angle extends for apredetermined distance over the upper portion.
 22. The masonry block ofclaim 21 wherein a depth of the upper portion of at least one of themiddle structural members is equal to or less than a depth of the lowerportion of the at least one of the middle structural members.
 23. Themasonry block of claim 21 wherein a depth of the upper portion of atleast one of the middle structural members is equal to or less than aheight of a protrusion of the lower portion of the at least one of themiddle structural members.
 24. The masonry block of claim 21 wherein theupper portion further comprises a third angle.
 25. The masonry block ofclaim 21 wherein the lower portion further comprises a fourth angle. 26.The masonry block of claim 21 wherein the lower portion is contiguouswith a protrusion.
 27. The masonry block of claim 21 wherein the lowerportion further comprises a fourth angle that is contiguous with aprotrusion.
 28. The masonry block of claim 27 wherein the body definesan H-shaped structure.
 29. A retaining wall comprising: a first courseof a plurality of retaining wall blocks, each block comprising: a bodyhaving a front structure with a first surface and a second surface; andtwo middle structural members extending a predetermined distance betweenthe second surface and a rear structural member, wherein the middlestructural members each include an upper portion having a first angle, alower portion having a second angle and a transition region wherein adistance between the upper portion and the lower portion reduces from afirst value to a second value; and a second course of retaining wallblocks above the first course; wherein the first angle extends for apredetermined distance over the upper portion.
 30. The retaining wall ofclaim 29 wherein a depth of the upper portion of at least one of themiddle structural members is equal to or less than a depth of the lowerportion of the at least one of the middle structural members.
 31. Theretaining wall of claim 29 wherein a depth of the upper portion of atleast one of the middle structural members is equal to or less than aheight of a protrusion of the lower portion of the at least one of themiddle structural members.
 32. The retaining wall of claim 29 whereinthe upper portion further comprises a third angle.
 33. The retainingwall of claim 29 wherein the lower portion further comprises a fourthangle.
 34. The retaining wall of claim 29 wherein the lower portion iscontiguous with a protrusion.
 35. The retaining wall of claim 29 whereinthe lower portion further comprises a fourth angle that is contiguouswith a protrusion.
 36. The retaining wall of claim 35 wherein the bodydefines an H-shaped structure.